Passenger, if you don’t know, is a British brand founded in 2012 that is constantly becoming more and more popular in the outdoor world, gaining a reputation for creating practical kit at reasonable prices. They underpin everything they do with strong environmental ethics.
Connected: best daypack
In the past, we have reviewed some of their jackets, such as five elements and this ashland jacket, as well as some of their shorts, such as Rogue beach shorts, and passenger all purpose Shorts. However, it’s the Tide 25L Dry Bag Backpack, a versatile waterproof passenger pack, that we’re testing this summer.
how i tested it
I recently used the Tide 25L as my main pack for a week-long camping trip on the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales. Much of the trip involved walking from beach to beach on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, exploring as many swimming spots as possible. I filled the backpack with all of my swimming gear, a travel towel, snacks for the day, water bottles, and other beach essentials such as sun cream. sunglasses And a good book.
The length of these walks ranges from a short 20-minute walk to a 3-hour walk along the beach in temperatures as high as 30 degrees in some places. On one occasion, I used the pack for a 3.5-hour trip to Skomer Island, Wales’s second-largest island. Here the bag was filled with camera gear, as well as plenty of water to stay hydrated during the heatwave.
I’m planning on taking the Tide Pack with me to Lough Erne in Northern Ireland for some canoeing in September, so stay tuned for updates on that front.
Passenger Tide 25L Waterproof Backpack: Top Line
A really strong waterproof pack made from 100% recycled nylon, this dry-bag/backpack hybrid is a very practical companion for aquatic adventures. Ideal for short to medium length coastal day hikes, beach walks and canoeing, at just under £100, it’s also good value for your money.
traveler tide 25l
Our tester’s verdict: “In addition to waterproofing, the tough outer fabric is also a big draw, as well as overall carrying comfort. A great companion for hiking the coastal path, day trips to swimming spots, canoeing excursions and more.”
★★★★
price: £99.95
weight: About. 1.2 kg
Best for: wild swimming, Short to medium length coastal day hikes, beach walking, traveling, canoeing
professional: Strong construction, recycled materials, great capacity, comfortable back system, good value, versatile
Shortcoming: Overheats in very hot weather, lack of hip belt causes difficulty in breathing
Design and content
The main material here is 100% recycled nylon with a tough TPU laminated coating. In a nice touch from Passenger, they provide a full description of the impact of each product they sell. In this example, you can trace manufacturing to China and have a detailed description of the total distance the bag has traveled so far during its lifetime, as well as an estimate of CO2 emissions. For more details, see the ‘Effects’ section Here.
Elsewhere in the bag you’ll find two exterior front pockets, an interior zippered pocket, an interior detachable laptop sleeve, as well as an interior ski-pass/ID card window with visibility from the outside. The back panel features ergonomic padding with slightly padded shoulder straps and an adjustable sternum strap. To carry it with your hands, there is a rubberized top grab handle.
The overall design is a roll-top style of bag with a large, minimalist main compartment, not unlike smaller dry bags you might use inside your hiking bag. The total capacity is 25L, although because of this large main compartment, it feels much larger.
Who is it best for?
In my experience, I’ve found the Tide 25L pack to be great for coastal holidays where you’ll be doing a mix of beach walks and short day hikes. Likewise, it’s been great for short outdoor swimming trips, trips to your local swimming pool, as well as an extremely rainy cycle where I knew I’d need some proper waterproofing.
In Pembrokeshire, on a week-long camping trip, I found hiking the coastal path from beach to beach really useful. The back system provided enough stability and support for hiking up to 3/4 hours, while the waterproofing and convenient pockets helped me separate my wet swimming gear from essentials like my phone, keys, and wallet.
For runs longer than 3/4 hours, I would personally choose something more supportive and breathable, however, for what the Tide is designed for – swimming trips, aquatic adventures and light hiking – I have found it really useful.
I can also see it working well for non-technical canoeing – I’m hoping to test it for this purpose in September – as well as some light kayaking, provided your hatch is large enough to fit the bag.
For supping, I think you have to be pretty sure you won’t capsize as the bag is not designed to be completely submerged in water.
back system
Upon testing, I found the back system comfortable. It’s not luxurious but not harsh either. It conforms seamlessly to the shape of your back, allowing it to sit comfortably when you’re walking. Stability is good in this regard – the pack moves with you as you move – although there is a trade-off in terms of breathability as there is very little space between you and the fabric. That being said, the extent of breathability is usually the price you pay for a completely waterproof bag.
Somehow, whether packed fully or barely packed, the pack always felt stable and evenly distributed on my back. In one example, I packed the bag with all my camera gear for a 3.5-hour hike around Skomer Island and the pack never felt lumpy or unstable, even when twisting and turning to get a few shots of nesting puffins.
To help distribute weight, there’s a sternum strap, although it’s notable that there’s no hipbelt. For heavier loads, I would prefer a hipbelt, although for small to medium loads, I have found that the sternum strap works well.
fit and size
There’s a lot of space in this thing. While a modest 25L, the large main compartment combined with the roll top closure makes it feel much larger in my experience. Unlike traditional hiking packs that will have multiple compartments, here there is only one main compartment, with a few different pockets.
I personally found this design very useful for swimming trips because I could bring along bulkier items like my snorkel, beach towel, and beach book, which otherwise might not fit as well in a hiking pack.
It’s worth noting that the bag only comes in one size. I’m 5ft 6ins and I would say it’s a bit on the larger side of the scale, so if you have a short back it might be worth trying on before buying. Width-wise, my clothes are probably around UK size 16/18 or XL and I found them very comfortable. I have a larger bust size and when I was using it I found that the sternum strap still had a lot of room left for expansion.
waterproofing
The waterproof rating here is 10k, although it is not designed for submersion in water. To close and seal the backpack completely, you need to tightly roll the top of the bag 3 times before closing the buckles on both sides.
Upon testing, I had no problems with moisture getting into or out of the bag. There have been times when I’ve put my wet swimming gear at the bottom of the bag and used the interior pockets to separate my phone, keys, and wallet. On these occasions I had no problems with cross-contamination.
One downside of waterproof material is that it gets quite hot under the sun. I would recommend keeping it in the shade if possible, as the internal contents start to heat up after a long time.
Description
The internal laptop sleeve is a nice touch, and I can see it working well in rainy weather. However, so far, I have mostly used this compartment to separate dry gear from wet gear, and in that regard, it has been very useful. It’s also useful to know that I can delete it if I need more space.
Elsewhere, there are two pockets on the front: a horizontal pocket and a vertical pocket that are the perfect size for a book. There’s also a side ID pocket and a fairly large interior pocket for your essentials. Although you won’t find as many compartments as a regular hiking backpack, the simplicity here is quite refreshing. Sometimes it’s good to take it all in and not think too much. That being said, if you’re an extremely organized packer, you may want to add some gear organizing packs.
There are two attachment points next to the side closure buckle which I found useful. If you remember to bring along some carabiners, these external loops are great for attaching your swimming gear and keeping it dry in the sun while on the go.
Tolerance
Although I haven’t used this backpack long enough yet to comment too much on durability, from what I’ve seen so far it looks very promising. I’ve found the material to be tough and impressively abrasion-resistant, especially against the hard and thorny rocks along the Pembrokeshire coastline.
I throw my backpack anywhere, and I felt very confident doing so with this bag. The TPU overlays also add confidence in this sense; Certainly doesn’t feel like it’s going to break or get holes in the near future.
decision
Overall, the Passenger Tide 25L Dry Bag Backpack is a great companion for aquatic adventures and short day hikes. I can also see it working well as a travel bag when you know you’ll be doing a lot of swimming along the way. In fact, I’m planning on bringing it with me to the Puglia coast this autumn – I think it would work really well for the kind of beach I’m planning on visiting.
Like any waterproof pack, it has its drawbacks in terms of breathability and amount of cushioning, however, I have found it to be very stable when on the go, no matter how light or heavy it is packed.
The tough, recycled fabric is another big draw of Tide, and it’s partly what makes it so versatile in a variety of activities. At £100, given that you can use this thing for swimming, hiking, canoeing, sailing, traveling and even the odd rainy commute, I’d consider it good value for your money too.
traveler tide 25l
Our tester’s verdict: “In addition to waterproofing, the tough outer fabric is also a big draw, as well as overall carrying comfort. A great companion for hiking the coastal path, day trips to swimming spots, canoeing excursions and more.”
★★★★
